Barcelona may not yet specialise in the lavish, unlimited-champagne brunches so common in places like Hong Kong and Dubai, but an increasing number of restaurants are offering innovative and intriguing brunch menus. The inventive and affordable menu at Brunch & Cake came groaning with dishes so tempting I didn’t know where to start. And crucially, the food is tongue-tinglingly delicious.

Can’t stomach another eggs Benedict? Their take on egg benedict: shrimp, poached eggs, lobster hollandaise and salad on house made black bun is an altogether more exotic experience. Spoil yourself with the house made nutella pancake, sugar free cocoa sauce, choc chip cookie and grilled banana, or for a healthier option, go for banana matcha pancakes, poached pear, banana/cacao “nicecrem”, pistachio and vegan strawberry sauce (no sugars, baked)

They’re all so enticingly and beautifully presented that choosing just one can prove unexpectedly time-consuming. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Johor Bahru food was once considered Malaysia’s poor culinary relation, but there are hidden gems in the city. Restoran Tapai Tang is one of the few old-school JB dining institutions where the quality has actually improved in recent years.

Their famed salt baked chicken is so tender, you won’t be able to stop eating it. wat tan hor (rice noodles in egg gravy) is perfectly fried with the lustrous eggy gravy over the wok fragrance flat noodles is just as good. On the minus side, all this good food is simply plonked on to the plate willy-nilly. This may be ugly-ass food – even the photo (below) doesn’t look very appetizing– at least not to me! But, I swear, the dishes were delicious.

This is a time your dinner tasted better than it looked. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Unlike the mickey mouse Disneyland in Hong Kong, this Shanghai Disneyland features six themed areas.

With its giant Starbucks, Cheesecake Factory and Wolfgang Puck restaurant, you might for a minute mistake Shanghai Disney Resort for theme parks in Anaheim or Orlando. However, there’s more of a Chinese feel to it than to Hong Kong Disney, that’s for sure. Main Street has been replaced by Mickey Avenue and it’s easier to find Kung Pao chicken for lunch than, say, a hot dog.

Easily the best attraction, Tron ride, an exhilarating roller coaster in the park’s Tomorrowland area is the first of its kind in a Disney park. Riders race headlong into dark tunnels interspersed with shows of red, blue and yellow lights. The Pirates of the Caribbean is equally amazing and technically astonishing. Gone are the classic animatronic characters of other parks. In its place, high-definition, computer-animated trip across the ocean floor when the riders move between to real boats while an animated pirate ship battle takes place in front of them, sending animated (and real) water into the air.

This isn’t Disneyland in China; it’s China’s Disneyland. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Bali is well-known for its pork dishes. A must-try Balinese dish is this pork meat-on-stick.

Tucked away under a tent in Kuta, the Sate Babi (pork satay) here is utterly delicious and that, and only that, is what everyone is here to feast on. The meat is unbelievably succulent and sweet and had a delicious char-grilled flavor coupled with a rich, mouth-coating savouriness.

Really – I’m not hamming it up! This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Deep down, I just want to be eating the real Nathan’s dogs at the original Coney Island stand, but I guess, this Nathan’s stall at Jersey Garden food court is what I have to settle for.

A mild, juicy meat and crispy exterior that “melds in a nice way” with bun and condiments. They have the pop when you bite through the skin, releasing all those yummy juices into your mouth. The low points are that it feels processed.

Nathan’s is no better, no worse than any hot dogs in America. Is this as good as it gets, or do I really need to go to the original location? This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

It’s hard to imagine it now, but if you wanted to eat at a nice steakhouse in Singapore in the 2005, you didn’t have a lot of choice.

Dazzling modernity might not be an epithet that the casual visitor would associate with an Lawry’s today, but in 12.5 years ago, it was the jewels in the crown of Singapore’s restaurant scene. The dining area itself oozes character and charm. We dined in an unrushed, relaxed atmosphere, and the service looked effortless and matched the high quality of the food.

And the steak? There’s either good steak or bad steak, and this is firmly in the former camp. Nothing revolutionary, but exactly the food I love to eat. It’s a serious piece of meat, imbued with the sort of deep ferric tang that only experience can bring.

And so Lawry’s trundles on. You have to take your hat off to them, really. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

December 31, 2017

Some people believe a massage shouldn’t involve anything more strenuous than flipping from stomach to back. Khun Neena isn’t one of them.

Khun Neena proceeded to drill into my tightest knots…she stretched, rubbed, twisted, and bent my limbs, fixing my alignment. At one point, she even placed her feet against my lower back and lifted me in the air in a weightless arch that loosened every knot along my spine. Admittedly, this athletic form of massage isn’t for those who want to doze through a session, but the looser, more limber muscles and restored equilibrium are well worth the workout.

I slept like a dormouse afterwards and the next day the pain in my lower back and neck had gone. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Tapas is undoubtedly the best kind of food. You get to sample loads of dishes and share the experience with friends.

Once a car park, El Nacional is now an open-concept, gorgeous space ” restaurant emporium” that houses four restaurants and three bars. A unique atmosphere, the setting alone makes the visit worthwhile. Needless to say, we tried La Taperia, the tapas restaurant.

The small plates here are boldly flavored and actually portioned to share. Paletilla Iberica de Bellota (Acorn-fed Iberian shoulder ham) was top notch. Even better was Calamares a la Andaluza (Squids Andalusian-style). Navajas a la Donostiarra (razor clams, San Sebastian style) is another mouth-watering dish. Heuvos estrellados con jamon Iberico (fried eggs with Iberian ham) was executed with flair. An ordinary-sounding offering of Gambitas de Huelva fritas (Fried little shrimps from Huelva) was an unexpected success. Other great dishes to try are Pan de coca con tomate, aceite y sal (flat bread with tomato, oil and salt), Bomba de la Barceloneta (Barceloneta bomb), Croquetas de jamon Iberico (Iberian ham croquettes), The classic Spanish tapas dish – Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic prawns) was the dish of the meal. Pink, deliciously plump prawns covered in glossy garlic oil. We order a second plate immediately.

Those who live locally are lucky, others should be willing to travel. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

I probably won’t make any friends saying so but I’m struggling to think of a reason why anyone would want to eat here.

Bebek Tepi Sawah is decent enough if you’re high or 12 years old. The whole menu here is almost entirely centred around the humble duck. The duck which was supposed to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside was anything but. The soup was as plain as plain water can be. Just not worth it.

Psst…tourists: You can get better dish in Bali elsewhere. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Okay people. You know how you’re always asking about trendy places to eat? You know who you are. Well, Coffee Beans by Dao is for you.

The scene in the restaurant could have been choreographed by Vogue. They do a delicious fried noodle shrimp + crab meat in yellow curry egg sauce. Don’t make the mistake I did…leaving without trying their dessert. This place built its reputation on its extensive desserts…..from their supposedly delicious cheesecakes to doughnuts.

Pull up a chair and people watch – an afternoon well-spent. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…